Mozart67

Dont get me wrong. Innovation and renovation are the cornerstones of any sort of progress, but I completely agree that while it's not this year's New Radical Thang (like that strange Ball Coaster or the ZacSpin I keep hearing about), it's still a great ride, and a great addition to what seems like a knockout park. Scott

LOL I'm reading all of the responses to this and other topics and I am completely blown away by how many people know the intricacies, mechanical engineering, etc. of the rides themselves! This has to be the coolest physics class I've never gotten college credit for. I realize some are either in the industry or related to it, but where do you research the information to learn these things? I would love to learn how coasters and flats work. Scott

Well, at least the name Deja Vu is fitting now. How about naming it "Vuja De", which is the feeling that this has never happened before but if it did it would be scary? Scott

Robb, I've been in the last 2 weeks of my premiere prep (known as the Cone of Slience or something like that) and have been researching my hometown. After a conversation with my dad, I learned that the first theme park I went to was in Hutchinson, called Clown Town, which folded in the mid-1970's, and he is still friends with its owner, Through some net research, I have also learned that from 1910 to about 1935, Hutchinson was not only considered for a state capitol bid, but also sported, at one time, 3 seperate theme parks and was considered the Coney Island of the Plains. Here's the question: While I'm out doing the gig, I'm going to try to interview the previous owner of Clown Town, the people in charge of Joyland (which I have heard will be redone in some form), and find out about the three lost parks of central Kansas. Since this is more a research trip than a ride trip, does it count as a TPR park review, or is it something else? Thanks, and have a great West Coast Bash! Scott

LOL I saw "Bag of Suck" and immediately thought it was..um, never mind. Great TPR and photos, everyone! You really make the off-times fun and goofy. Just when you think Japan cant be anymore random, you have something like..what was that, Walking Tree Guy? I think I would actually break my decades-old vow and go to a Disney park in Japan. THAT Mouse looks fun, unlike the last one I went to, which..well, it was fun looking at it, I suppose. Stupid Mayfield Question #246: I still dont get the castle jokes. I mean, none of them are especially big, but I wouldnt want to paint them, either. Guess I missed it! Have fun! Scott

Ccron's remark about the planning/preparation time concerning Maverick really gives one pause..well, it makes me stop and think. I should have realized that an acquisition on that scale would take a great deal of planning/gnashing of teeth/shoring of resources, etc. Thanks for the comment! I don't disagree that theming, landscaping, ambient and direct tweaks, and so forth, are important. Let's face it: a theme park without theming or atmosphere is just another Royal American gig. I guess what I was asking is what is it that SFMM really needs at this point: an innovative thill ride, a ride or attraction that will pack em in, or a well-themed all-ages attraction area? I havent been there in so long, I'm not sure what the mission of the park is anymore. Anyway, I'll bow out of the topic with the comment that I hope whatever moves into the old PsyBack space, it revitalizes, rejuvenates, and re-energizes the park in some tangible way. (RIP Granny Prix---I'll miss that ride..my uncle Chris had a really funny flashback/trip on that ride way back when..)

Even though I still rally behind the possibility of SFMM installing a Eurofighter or something completely deep-end like Kirnu, a well-themed area to complement the Thomas area would be nice. As we progress into the future of amusements like 4th dimensional coasters, eurofighters, beyond verts, etc., it does seem like the family element has been stripped bare in favor of high-end thrills. If the Psyclone/Flashback space is optimized for a well-themed, family-oriented area, then that is as good as another top thrill ride. I dont understand something, however. Why would SF dislike SFMM when it is virtually its most famous/infmous property?

The last time I went to Magic Mountain, disco was still popular, so I'm a little out of the loop..so to speak. As far as a coaster in Flashback's space, I'm the eternal optimist. It would be great to see a Eurofighter, a Top Thrill Kaa, or a Kirnu there, and I think at least the Gerstlauer or the Kirnu would fit. Dunno about the Kindga Dragster... If it ends up being a HH expansion, then so be it. At least they will b e doing something valuable with the space, instead of turning it into, say, a Hannah Montana area (barf). Scott

Sounds like a great time! My concert on the 18th and 19th has been unfortunately postponed to Feb 7-10 (4 days is better than 2!) but I'm still a little strapped for flying miles. I'd be happy to send a gift in my absence though (wine, vodka, my wife wants to knit KidTums an outfit, etc.) so let me know what would be appropriate. Thanks for the invite and ride your brains out for me! Scott

Oh..my..God..Dude, that was better than watching a Robin Williams special on shroomy goodness! The avalanche photo "Not acceptable amount of wetness" LMAO..he is never going to live that down, is he? Great job, Flip! Scott

Hahaha! Great job, Flip! Now all we need is the Stephen King version of Bench: the Ride! Scott

Soren, it's definitely his voice, and he's got an amazing range, even for a countertenor! I thought it was lio-synch too, initially, but I compared the soundtrack to his version, and he backphrases a lot of the middle and towards the end, he begins to go a little sharp. Maybe only a quarter- or semi-tone off, but he still goes sharp. The original recording was calibrated and processed to eliminate vocal sharp/flatness, I think. Easy to do, really. Thanks for the link! A great talent, to be sure! Scott

KidTums rocks! I love seeing pics of her; not only because she's frickin adorable, I don't get a chance to see my grandkids that often. I haven't been able to make it back to see them in about 3 years and miss them a lot. Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukah/Jammin Kwanzaa/Happy New Year's/ to all my TPR friends and I'll see you all after the concert in January!! Warm Regards Scott

Sigh..I hate premature Senior Moments! You're right..it would have to have been later than that. It would have to have been 1978, since I moved back to Japan with my parents for a couple years soon after that and then on to Kansas. Thanks for catching my early Alzheimer's, Eric! Scott "Don't get Compound W and Colgate mixed up in the morning" Mayfield

Bravo, Shane! Your theme-park and coaster retrospectives keep getting better and better! I remember riding Colossus in 77 vividly; not because I was almost pants-wettingly scared (which I was...I was 9, after all) but because it was so huge. I think the total whiteness of it made it look even larger than it might have been. It's funny, though. I remember the Revolution being more violent on the body than Colossus. Since I haven't ridden it since, would I still enojy the ride with all its modifications or would I be let down?

sigh..WOF has a special spot in my heart as the first park I sought out purely for thrills, back in 1983. The Orient Express didput WOF on the map, and for good reason. The first drop was awesome, probably the steepest and highest steel I had been on at the time. The Kamikaze curve (although I remember commercials back in Kansas calling it the Kamikaze loop) was an awesome inversion and the ride was smooth as butter. The other ride that put them on the map (but in a bad way) was when they converted the Screamroller into a head-bashing neck-twisting stand-up coaster called the EXT (or Extreme Roller.) After one ride, I had a bruise behind each ear from the "headrests". And, yeah, the Zinger, just like SFOT's old Big Bend, was amazing. Thanks for the trip in the Wayback Machine, Peabody! Your attic must be an antique shopper's dream and an anal-retentive's nightmare. Scott "EXT was actually more painful than Joyland's Nightmare" Mayfield

Wow! I never thought I would get such positive and supportive responses from people I don't even know! This is by far the best online group I have ever joined! If 2008 goes as planned, I am self-producing and self-releasing 6 CDs of new and slightly new classical music (as well as laying tracks for my first rock album) and the shows, like my other live events, will hopefully be available in both live and studio format (engineer and money permitting.) Anyone who is interested in the seriss or just the show coming up is more than welcome to email me at smayfield1267@hotmail.com (shameless plug ended..) and I'll add you to the list. I'm hoping for a private press of 200, which is sounding more and more like too little, but we'll see. Thanks again for the support and I hope I'll see you on a trip in the future! Scott "I'm like Bartok, Sondheim and Bjork all at once" Mayfield

I know this isn't really a topic, and I apologize to Elissa, Robb, Meternotes, Wes and the rest of you who tirelessly monitor the boards for garbage. I wanted to share a little of my off-ride stuff. I understand if you lock the topic. ON January 18 & 19, at the Moscelene Planetarium, located in the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center complex in Hutchinson, KS, I will be making my national debut as a classical pianist. I will be presenting 6 new works for piano by Terry Winter Owens, entitled "Anthem to the Stars". While the concert is going on, there will be a simultaneous light show and constellation/night sky show. Anyone in the area who is interested in going drop me a line. It's not Sheikra, Wild Svinet or Kingda Ka, but if you're interested and you bring a TPR shirt, I'll discount you Thanks again! Scott Mayfield CEO/Music Director/Pianist ConnVolution (Conn. Revolutionary Ensemble)

God..that puts a whole new light on things! Even though they're landmareked they have no protection against things like hsotile land acquisitions or eminent domain. I fear for not only Kennywood and Compounce, but also for Astroland's Cyclone and Deno's Wonder Wheel. America isn't exactly known for its preservation of historic spaces, with exception to the ones involved in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Side note: I wonder if we could get Reunidos interested in buying up Wild West World. Shame it only lasted 3 months. Now, you still have to go to Denver, OKC, or KCMO if you want thrills (no, Joyland does not count, no matter how messed up you are when you ride Nightmare.)

I was hesitant to respond to this topic as I haven't been able to make it to Compounce yet and (no throwing tomatoes) I had never heard of Kennywood until this topic. I do know something about a family owning a park, though. One of my father's friends owned a small kids' park in Hutchinson, Kansas in the 60's and early 70's called Clown Town, the remains of which are still around a couple of his outbuildings. (The kiddie coaster is dismantled and in one of those buildings.) Although they had a moderate amount of success with the park, it just became (if you'll pardon my French) a colossal pain in the ass to operate. There were no buyers at the time. (Too bad; they could have bought Joyland, anyway...) Long story short, they would have sold and I wouldn't have blamed them a bit. One of the most important intuitions in business is knowing when to stay in and knowing when to get the hell out. I do agree with most everyone that I hope it doesnt become Six Flags Just Under Hartford. There is already a Six Flags Over Dead Riverside in Agawam and from what I've researched, lower crime rate and Superman: Ride of Steel are the ONLY improvements.

TokyoMouse's Tower is beautiful, and this is coming from someone who has done live theatre for years and someone who doesn't really go to parks for theming, but I digress. The blue wash at night is especially beautiful, as is the underlighting and field-washes on Aquatopia, which doesnt seem all that pointless, IMO. One of Disney's primary intents was very similar to theatre: "a willing suspension of belief." By employing things that seem random and outlandish, you end up with a microcosm of fantasy, a pocket of unreality that lasts as long as you are there. This almost makes me want to go to another Mouse, which is substantal. I worked for the Mouse for a summer in the 80's (read: intern by day, inebriated dork by night) and, like Holywood, all that glitters is not true starlight. But the Japanese are in control here, so I just might break my Mouse boycott. Hope you are having a great time. My classical debut gig is in a little over 4 weeks, so I'm scarcer than Denny's with good food. Have a great time! Scott "I wish they would make a Bullet Train Monorail just to be funny and random" Mayfield

I love the idea of "Led Zeppelin--The Ride" and the YouTube vid of the test launch was nice to see. Just have some burning ?'s about the rode though: 1) Will it leave you Dazed and Confused, demand All of Your Love, or stall due to Communication Breakdown? 2) It will have stiff competition from "Bench--the Ride", I'm sure. 3) I'm hoping there arent any paeans to red snapper as part of the theming. That would be so not cool. 4) Maybe a Marrakesh theming would be awesome and a slightly vamped-up ride-time: then you could be Trampled Underfoot in Kashmir. 5) I am glad this isn't Togo because you would have to call the coaster "In My Time of Dying" Scott "When the Levee Smirks" Mayfield

When I was fresh out of high school, I worked entertainment for Royal Cairn-O-Beans and it was a blast! Unfortunately (or not), I'm most likely gigging either in Manhattan or (gasp..crossing fingers) Milan in February, so have a spanktacular time and I'll hopefully see you on part of the East Coast Trip! btw..am saving up now for the 2009 Japan trip and the same year's Europe trip! Scott "Six Flags should have a Dog Fart coaster" Mayfield

Woohoo! A Japanese update! I dunno. Thunder Flipper looks fun anyway. I'd do it in a heartbeat. Blue Fall still looks moderately horrifying, though, and what the stick is up with canning the boat jumpers?? We are so NOT pleased with this. Oh well. I'm really sorry that you Elissa and KidTums had to cancel your "Indians-save-the-Settlers" trip. If it's any consolation, we are skipping T-Giving for the third year in a row due to our work schedules being diametrically opposed to each other. Looking forward to more Japan park photo creaminess! Scott

Right on! E3 for theme park designers, developers, owners, and their respective fanboy/girl base. The coaster that uses a ferris wheel instead of a lift hill or induction motor is genius...and a little strange-looking. Question about one of the flats in the pictures: there is one that looks like a windmill with either free-motion seats or the row of seats has flipping motion, like a Top Spin, but the whole thing spins like a windmill. Can anyone tell me what that is called? It looks insane but really cool.